It is known to provide an external door for accessing the interior of an aircraft fuselage, particularly for loading and unloading the cargo area of the aircraft. Some of these doors incorporate vents to equalize air pressure across the door before opening. Often, these vents are passively actuated by a spring, and therefore can malfunction due to icing or other adverse conditions. Other doors do not feature vents, creating a potentially dangerous situation in which a pressure differential exists across the door when it is opened. This pressure differential can cause the door to open suddenly and uncontrollably, creating a risk of injury or death to an operator. Also, many doors incorporate venting and latching systems that are each operated with a dedicated handle, thus requiring two hands, or at least two motions, to open. Use of separate handles leaves open the possibility that an operator may fail to secure one or the other in preparation for takeoff. Additionally, the use of separate handles leaves open the possibility that one handle may be inadvertently operated, diminishing the security of the door, and creating a danger that the door may open unintentionally. Still other doors are operable using one handle, but open via translating-motion, which is suitable for a passenger access point but not desirable for accessing a cargo area.
A need, therefore, exists for an aircraft door handle that provides safeguards against unintended or uncontrolled opening of the door, provides a positive-drive mechanism for controlling the venting of pressure across the door, ensures the security of the door prior to takeoff, and eases operation of the door.